Broken Angels
A Takeshi Kovacs Novel
by Richard K. Morgan · first published 2003
63% recommend38% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Cyberpunk noir sequel to Altered Carbon, praised for carrying that novel's feel forward and for Kovacs, a complex, heavily modified protagonist; suits readers who liked Gibson-style cyberpunk.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Welcome back to the brash, brutal new world of the twenty-fifth century: where global politics isn't just for planet Earth anymore; and where death is just a break in the action, thanks to the techno-miracle that can preserve human consciousness and download it into one new body after another. Cynical, quick-on-the-trigger Takeshi Kovacs, the ex-U.N. envoy turned private eye, has changed careers, and bodies, once more . . . trading sleuthing for soldiering as a warrior-for-hire, and helping a far-flung planet's government put down a bloody revolution.But when it comes to taking sides, the only
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…can buy original 80s copies of Omni magazine with the first publication for pretty cheap off eBay) Other authors I've enjoyed, coming off Neuromancer-type Gibson: Richard K. Morgan (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies). Closest in tone. For god's sake don't watch the Amazon series for plot. Effinger comes up on a lot of lists, although I haven't read it myself yet. Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep,…
on “William Gibson is a literary genius” ↗…Jerry Pournelle's "Falkenberg's Legion" (republished as "the Prince"). I'm afraid I've been mostly digging through second hand books lately, so the only other semi-recent book I could recommend would be "Broken Angels" by Richard Morgan (technically it's number two in a trilogy -- but I find it stands better on its own).
on “Ask HN: I loved Snow Crash and Daemon. What should I read next?” ↗…different I stumbled across in a thrift shop: "Canal Dreams" by Ian Banks. Oh, and Gibson's latest: "The Peripheral". Second the recommendedation for Richard Morgan, especially "Thirteen / Black Man" and "Broken Angels" (I accidentally started with this, book two of a triology, but actually think it stands well.on its own. The lack of exposition in the first chapter turns it in to a bit of a mystery book (who is this…
on “Electric Sheep on Ubuntu Linux 17.10” ↗Broken Angels is also my favorite. Kovacs is an extremely complex character. He's been tweaked so much, in becoming an Envoy, that he's fundamentally an AI. He's somewhat like the vampires in Peter Watts' novels. Also,…
on “A startup is pitching a mind-uploading service that is “100 percent fatal”” ↗If this fascinates you, then you'll like Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies by Richard K. Morgan. Changing bodies is commonplace for the rich in these novels. They are quite excellent, if not a tad violent, so don't read them if that's not your thing. The…
on “Scientists Are Giving Dead Brains New Life” ↗> Richard K. Morgan (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies). Closest in tone. For god's sake don't watch the Amazon series for plot. Also (different setting): Black Man/Thirteen and Thin Air.
on “William Gibson is a literary genius” ↗I think Broken Angels did a good job of carrying the feeling of Altered Carbon forward. I haven't yet read the final trilogy member, Woken Furies.
on “Neuromancer, 30 years old this month” ↗…loosely based on book 3, with parts of book 2 remixed and reinterpreted into it. The book revolves around Kovachs mental health instead of what happened in the show) (Richard Morgan: Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies)
on “Cyberpunk: Then and Now” ↗…reading/studying/working and drinking coffee. Once I leave there I'll head home, grab a bite to eat, and then do something to relax for a little while. Watch a movie, or read some fiction. I'm reading Broken Angels by Richard K. Morgan right now. Afterwards I'll jump back into research/work mode and put in a few more hours on something topical. That would be a typical Sat. for me. One deviation from that pattern…
on “Ask HN: What does your typical Saturday look like?” ↗…version is a diluted version of a rough and angry book. The idea of consciousness executed in hardware is explored, including simulated torture in subjective slow time (possibly in one of the sequels: Broken Angels or Woken Furies).
on “Permutation City (1994)” ↗